The Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has declared tomorrow (Sunday) 30th of March 2025, as equivalent to 1 Day of SHAWWAL 1446AH and Eid-Fitri day across Nigeria.
The Sultan, who is the President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), said the decision followed the report of National Moon Sighting Committees across the country confirming the sighting of the new moon in several places in Nigeria.
The Sultan felicitated with the Nigerian Muslim Ummah and wished them Allah’s guidance and blessings, urging them to sustain the lesson learnt during the holy month of Ramadan.
 , The declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu has continued to generate mixed reactions. On Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, former Agriculture Minister Audu Ogbeh warned that bringing a former service chief to replace an elected governor is sending a wrong signal that Nigerians still desire military rule. The former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it is unfair for the president to suspend Governor Siminalayi Fubara and retain the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who are both actors in the political crisis.
 , Enjoy the excerpts:
What is your stance on the decision of President Bola Tinubu?
A photo combination of President Bola Tinubu and Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
I think that the use or declaration of states of emergency is something that we should avoid as much as possible. It’s a very dangerous trend because it is definitely not going to be always fair and just. It will always leave a bitter taste in the mouths of those affected and a certain sense of victory and triumph in the minds of those who think they have won. In a country where ethnicity is a serious matter, and where we need to be a bit cautious about what we do, it is something we should apply only very sparingly. That’s my reaction.
What we saw in Ekiti, what we saw in Plateau State under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, can you compare it with what we are seeing in Rivers State?
A file photo of former President Olusegun Obasanjo
Well, on each of these occasions, I was chairman of the party. The President had more information than I had. Therefore, making comments on how precarious he thought the situation was at the time would be difficult for me. What I think we should do after this one is that we must avoid the use of this provision as much as possible. I think that the president is a well-informed individual, powerful enough to organise a group of persons with sufficient moral and social authority to sit down with the main actors and resolve some of these issues before they get to the point of proclamations of states of emergency. We all know that the ethnic tinderbox in Nigeria is very easy to inflame. We don’t want fights, we don’t want riots, and we don’t want assassinations.
When these problems began, in fairness to the president, he did call the Rivers State gentleman to the villa once. That didn’t seem to work. We should, as soon as possible, even before the six months pass, the president should find solid individuals in River State, men, women and youths to sit down and ask them to mediate in this matter and find out exactly where the problems lay and appeal particularly to the two warring persons. Rivers State is bigger than any individual. We as a country and as countrymen are not interested in watching a situation where Rivers State and the entire Niger Delta will go up in flames. Nigeria has lived off the Niger Delta for 40 years. We appreciate what they’ve done for Nigeria because their oil has been fuelling our expenditure. Nobody wants a crisis in the Niger Delta.
When the matter came before the National Assembly for voting, I would like to suggest to the National Assemblymen to install a capacity in the future for individual voting because someday, 10 to 20 years from now, their children and grandchildren and researchers would like to find out how individuals voted on a particular bill. Hays and nays do not give us a clear picture of the position and the moral authority of individual senators or members of the House. Nobody should hide under a shadow. If you want a vote, say so. If you don’t want it, say so. These hays and nays are a camouflage and don’t work. I was a Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly in Benue State between 1979 and 1982. So, if issues like that came up, and we wanted to know who stood in what position on a bill, we did counted ourselves.
Are you worried because there are those who say the constitution is silent on whether the president can suspend any elected members as in the case of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Mrs Ngozi Odu, and the House of Assembly members?
FILES: Martins Amaewhule (L) and Siminalayi Fubara (R)
Well, I must say that the decision of the President should not overrule the vote of the people who made that individual governor. The people of Rivers voted for somebody, the people of Plateau voted for somebody. If that person is not doing the right thing, is it morally right for an individual to have the authority to remove him from office? That’s something that the nation should debate, and that’s something that needs to be amended or corrected.
As an elder statesman, how do you think the president should have handled this for those who have accused him of bias in this matter?
L-R: Combo photo of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, President Bola Tinubu, and Gov Siminalayi Fubara
A president is a man who should have sympathy. The job of the president is a superhuman assignment. That man, every day of the week, must be ageing like a month because of the kinds of problems that come before him. So, sometimes, it’s almost impossible to imagine the pressure he goes through. However, I suggest that a reconciliation committee should be set up as soon as possible. And that in the future, when such a situation arises, these individuals who are the warring factions should be brought before senior citizens of the state and told the plain truth.
There’s always somebody who is doing far more or far less than he or she should, and there’s always somebody who is too aggressive for the rest of the crowd. I think the people of Rivers – senior citizens should have the courage to say to such a person, if you did this, it is wrong, if you didn’t do that, it is wrong but removing an elected person is something that may not exactly rhyme with political and democratic ideas because that’s to say that after an election, the archbishop of the state or the chief imam of the state or the oldest traditional ruler there can say to the governor: ‘ We don’t want you anymore’. And he packs his luggage and goes. After all, the president did not vote in the state. That’s something that we need to look into. I mean, it’s a very tricky matter.
If you were in the president’s shoes, what would you do?
I’ll tell you what I would have done. One more meeting wouldn’t do any harm to the larger committee of elders of Rivers State to let them hear the arguments of both sides. So that by the time you say, look, if you can’t check yourselves, I may have to take a more drastic decision, the whole world will know that you tried very hard.
I know a president is a person under superhuman pressure, and having met with them once, and the matter didn’t go well, he opted for what appears to be the immediate solution. On the other hand, the fact that one is an appointee of his and the other is an elected person makes it unfair to remove the one you didn’t appoint and do nothing about the one you’re appointed. I think that’s one of the arguments that people are putting forward. But in the future, elders and party members should be able to get involved in dealing with these matters.
There are those who are afraid of what a more autocratic leader could use the Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution to do. What do you think we need to correct urgently?
Well, if certain sections of the constitution are beginning to show themselves as problematic, we should begin to think of constitutional amendments because the only forum that can handle that is the National Assembly. People should submit memoranda. On the other hand, do we just leave it as it is, hoping that the president will always be fair and balanced in these decisions? As I said, a president is a man or woman under terrible pressure. However, removing somebody who was elected by an entire state by a sentence from one individual elsewhere may look a bit tricky and not to say unjust, so it’s something that Nigeria should begin to debate after this.
We understand that the administrator of Rivers State has officially resumed duty. If you were to advise Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, what would you be telling him tonight?
President Bola Tinubu swears in Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (rtd) as sole administrator for Rivers State in Abuja on March 19, 2025
Well, he has an assignment. He should carry on quietly, listen to all sides, find out what the grievances are, and be fair and just as far as is humanly possible. The only other thing that I’m asking is: Why is it that each time there is this suspension of a governor, a military person is put back in place? Do we miss military rule, or are we suggesting that civilians are incapable of governing themselves?
Obasanjo did it twice, in fact, thrice, and we have it again. What’s the logic? This is why, in the first place, this whole imposition of a state of emergency should be avoided. It was not done in Borno during Boko Haram, even though to every sense and degree, the situation there was far more chaotic than we have now. When Boko Haram was running riots, that’s all, but it’s up to the president. Since the constitution doesn’t say you can only pick this or that person, the president is free to do so, but it’s also sending a funny signal that civilians can’t do the job themselves. That’s not a good one. That’s why civilians themselves should be more responsible. Elected individuals should behave themselves and not carry on as if it’s a holiday and that they can do as they wish because they are sending the wrong signal to society.
Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites, announced that the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr marking the end of the Ramadan fasting period will begin on Sunday.
“The Supreme Court has decided that tomorrow, Sunday, March 30, 2025, is the first day of Eid al-Fitr”, the Royal Court said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency on X.
The timing of Eid al-Fitr is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon in accordance with the Muslim lunar calendar.
The United Arab Emirates and Qatar also announced Sunday would be the first day of the holiday.
Meanwhile Oman and Shiite-majority Iran said that Eid al-Fitr would start on Monday.
READ ALSO:]Eid Fitr] Kebbi First Lady Donates Food Packages, Grains To Police Officers ‘ Wives
A file photo of Muslims praying. Photo: Sodiq Adelakun
During Ramadan, observant Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk and traditionally gather with family and friends to break their fast in the evening.
Fasting is widely practised in Saudi Arabia, home of the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina.
Across the Muslim world, Ramadan festivities this year were overshadowed by Israel’s resumption of hostilities in Gaza, where its military campaign to eradicate Hamas has killed tens of thousands of people, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
The Lagos State Police Command has arraigned Abiola Odutayo in connection with the death of 32-year-old Adetunji Opayele, co-founder of Bumpa, popularly known as Teejay.
According to a statement by the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Odutayo was arraigned on March 12, 2025, at Court 1, Tinubu, following her discharge from the hospital.
She is facing charges of reckless and careless driving on a public highway, which resulted in the death of Opayele.
The incident that led to the death of Opaleye on March 4, 2025, has since sparked public concern.
Over 35, 000 Nigerians have signed a petition demanding justice with many calling for more severe charges, including manslaughter, rather than the reckless driving charge.
Hundeyin added that the court granted Odutayo bail, and the case has been adjourned until April 16, 2025.
The statement said, “We #LagosPoliceNG acknowledge public concerns regarding the tragic accident that claimed the life of Adetunji Opayele (Teejay) on March 4, 2025. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and all who have been affected by this loss.
” We can confirm that following a thorough investigation, Abiola Odutayo ‘ f ‘ was arraigned in Court 1, Tinubu on March 12, 2025, after she was discharged from hospital, for driving on a ‘ public highway in a reckless and careless manner without due care and attention to other road users and caus]ing] the death of one Tunji Opayele ‘ m ‘ aged 32 and thereby committed an offence… ‘
“The court granted her bail and adjourned the case till April 16, 2025.
” The Lagos State Police Command remains committed to transparency, fairness, and justice. “
READ ALSO: Police Arrest 14 Over Killing Of Travellers In Edo State
The development followed outrage by Nigerians over the death of Opayele, who died on March 4, 2025, after a collision on Ozumba Mbadiwe, Lagos.
The driver, Biola Adams-Odutayo, reportedly cited concerns about staining her car, allegedly failing to yield and refused to assist the critically injured Teejay.
Bystanders said they struggled to find medical help as several hospitals allegedly refused treatment.
The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, has congratulated her husband, President Bola Tinubu, as he turns 73 years old on Saturday, describing him as “my knight in shining armour”.
The first lady in a personal message obtained by Persecondnews felicitating her husband on Saturday, expressed gratitude to God for His faithfulness in the life of the president over the years.
She wrote: “I rejoice and thank God Almighty for His faithfulness in your life over the years.
“I celebrate your courage, strength, and resilience that have all contributed to who we both are today.
“May you live long, in divine health, joy, peace, and prosperity.
On Saturday, as rescuers searched through the rubble of collapsed buildings in a desperate search for survivors, the death toll from a massive earthquake that affected Myanmar and Thailand reached 1, 000.
Northwest of the city of Sagaing in central Myanmar was struck by a shallow 7.7-magnitude earthquake in the early afternoon, followed shortly thereafter by a 6.7%-magnitude aftershock.
Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city and home to more than 1.7 million people, saw the most extensive destruction caused by the earthquake, which destroyed buildings, downed bridges, and buckled roads across large areas of Myanmar.
Thar Aye, 68, a Mandalay resident, said, “We need assistance.” We don’t have enough of what, they say.
According to a statement from the junta, at least 1, 007 people were killed in Myanmar, and nearly 2,400 were hurt, with 30 more missing. In Bangkok, about 10 more deaths have been confirmed.
The true scope of the disaster is only beginning to emerge from the military-ruled state, and the toll is anticipated to significantly increase, given the severely hampered communications.
A Red Cross official told AFP on Saturday that more than 90 people might be trapped inside one Mandalay apartment block’s crushed remains.
At the Sky Villa Condominium development, where several of the building’s 12 storeys were stacked on top of each other, rescuers attempted to free the victims.
“Started shaking,”
Geologists believe this was the largest earthquake to strike Myanmar in decades, and the tremors were so severe that Bangkok’s downtown buildings were ruined by the earthquake’s magnitude.
A centuries-old Buddhist pagoda was reduced to rubble in Mandalay, where AFP journalists witnessed it.
A soldier sat at a checkpoint outside the pagoda and said, “It started shaking, then it started getting serious.”
“The monastery also sank,” he added. We pulled some people out and took them to the hospital after one monk died, and some others were hurt.
Journalists were turned away by security at Mandalay Airport.
One person claimed that “it has been closed since yesterday.” No one was hurt when the ceiling collapsed.
In a nation whose rescue efforts and healthcare system have already been ravaged by a military coup in 2021, damage to the airport would make things difficult.
Rare junta requests for assistance
On Friday, Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing made an unusually rare request for international aid, demonstrating the severity of the calamity. Even after significant natural disasters, previous military administrations have avoided receiving foreign aid.
After the earthquake, the nation declared a state of emergency across the six worst-affected regions, and on Friday, doctors were forced to treat the injured in the hospital’s Naypyidaw, one of the largest cities.
President Donald Trump pledged US assistance on Friday, prompting the introduction of foreign aid offers.
On Saturday, an initial flight from India arriving in Yangon, which would have flown with supplies for hygiene kits, blankets, food, and other necessities.
An 82-person team of rescuers from China went to Myanmar, according to China.
Myanmar is unprepared to deal with a catastrophe of this magnitude, according to international aid organizations. Before the earthquake struck, about 3.5 million people were forced to relocate as a result of the raging civil war, many of whom were already in danger of dying.
Building in Bangkok fell to pieces.
Rescuers searched through the night in Bangkok for survivors trapped in a 30-story skyscraper under construction that had collapsed and was quickly reduced to a pile of rubble and twisted metal as a result of the shaking.
According to Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt, around 10 people have died in the city’s skyscraper collapse, the majority of them in the collapse.
Up to 100 workers were still missing at the building, which is located close to the tourist-friendly Chatuchak weekend market.
Authorities believe they have seen at least 15 people’s thermal imaging drones as they searched the rubble for signs of life.
After receiving over 2, 000 reports of damage, Bangkok city authorities announced that they will send more than 100 engineers to check the safety of buildings.
Up to 400 people were forced to spend the night outside in city parks because it was unsafe to go back to their homes, according to Chadchart.
Bangkok’s shaking caused some dramatic images of rooftop swimming pools slosh their contents down the side of many of the city’s tall apartment blocks and hotels, despite the fact that there was no widespread destruction.
